Vahal Gasthara
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | |
| Languages | |
| Sinhala language | |
| Religion | |
Predominantly:  Theravada Buddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sinhalese people, South Asian ethnic groups |
A majority of historical Indian immigrants to the island from the most impoverished regions in South India, where they were predominantly landless and poverty-stricken Govi or agricultural workers of Shudra caste occupying the lowest position in the existing caste hierarchy. Some of them, who performed free work for the king and Devalayas as slaves, were named as Vahal Gasthara who later entered the main Govigama caste.[2] Ancient rock inscriptions of Sri Lanka and historical literature refer to this community as Pamunu Parapuru in contexts such as “........vahal, sarak, pamunu parapuru......” which translates into English as "slaves, oxen and heritable agricultural labour" (Epigraphia Zeylanica III.87,105,126& 132)
References
- ↑ Jayawickrama, Sarojini. An historical relation of the Island Ceylon (Thesis). The University of Hong Kong Libraries. doi:10.5353/th_b3123864.
- ↑ Reeves, Peter (2014). The Encyclopedia of the Sri Lankan Diaspora. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet. ISBN 978-981-4260-83-1. Search this book on
page 31.
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